The USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) underwent a refit, with testing expected to continue this year. The goal is to upgrade all three ships in the class (including Michael Monsoor and Lyndon B. Johnson) by 2029.
The USS Michael Monsoor will undergo a “Fuel Endurance and Range” modification.
(April 21, 2021) The Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) leads a formation including the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), USS Spruance (DDG 111), USS Pinckney (91), and USS Kidd (DDG 100), and the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) during U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) 21, April 21. UxS IBP 21 integrates manned and unmanned capabilities into challenging operational scenarios to generate warfighting advantages. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe)
(February 10, 2024) — The Zumwalt Class Guided Missile Destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) breaks away from the Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS Pecos (T-AO 197) shortly before sunset after taking on fuel. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mark D. Faram)
This work will convert existing saltwater ballast tanks to accommodate an increased fuel oil capacity.
With these modifications, the destroyers will be able to loiter at sea for longer periods, a capability that will prove crucial for their expected deterrence missions against adversaries in the Indo-Pacific.
This potentially transforms the Zumwalt class from a troubled coastal support ship into a premier, stealthy, long-range strike platform, particularly critical for potential Pacific theater conflicts.
The missiles are designed to be non-nuclear, relying on extreme speed (over a mile per second) and maneuverability to strike targets, which makes them highly accurate but technically challenging to develop.
The Zumwalt destroyers are the first U.S. surface combatants to carry these weapons, with the capability expected to be fully integrated across the class to provide a significant, non-nuclear strategic, high-speed strike option.
Are 12 Missiles Enough To Justify The Zumwalt-class?
The integration of hypersonic missiles onto the Zumwalt-class destroyer is indeed a significant step that could help “save” the program by revitalizing its purpose and enhancing its relevance in a potential future conflict with China.
(April 21, 2021) Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) participates in U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) 21, April 21. UxS IBP 21 integrates manned and unmanned capabilities into challenging operational scenarios to generate warfighting advantages. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe)
Zumwalt-Class In Bad Shape X Screenshot.
Zumwalt-class Guided Missile Destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) transits the Pacific Ocean, June 25, 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug 4 in and around Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
Initially designed with advanced features such as stealth and electric propulsion, the Zumwalt-class faced challenges, particularly with its expensive gun system.
The Navy had planned to order 32 Zumwalt destroyers, but there are now only three on active duty.
The two Advanced Gun Systems have failed, and schedule slips and cost overruns have plagued the program. The CPS missiles increase the range of the Zumwalt-class from 63 miles with the Advanced Gun System to 1,725 miles.
At $8 Billion Each, They Are Expensive Ships
The Zumwalt-class ships cost the Navy around $8 billion each, and it is doubtful whether fitting hypersonic missiles to the destroyers will lead to increased procurement.
But the testing of the systems is of significant importance.
Navy Captain Clint Lawler, program manager of the DDG 1000 destroyer program, said, “The plan is to get the ship available this year and then to support [initial operational capability] when the testing schedule supports that.
“We removed both guns from the ship. We’ve recovered some of the space under the second gun system for spaces that were previously used under the forward gun mount,” Lawler added.
(July 28, 2022) U.S. Navy Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) sails in formation during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, July 28. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three submarines, more than 30 unmanned systems, approximately 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Aleksandr Freutel)
“We’ve essentially recaptured some of that space. Other space is a reservation for future capability.”
The Navy hopes that having a high-stakes “first-strike deterrence platform” against near-peer adversaries outweighs the limited number of missiles the ships can carry.
The Navy Salvaged Some Of the Cost Of the Program
Kudos to the Navy for trying to find a use for this very expensive and failed program. The Navy spent a whopping $10 billion in research and development and another $12 billion for just three (3) warships.
In addition, the destroyers have had a spotty maintenance record and have suffered from reduced capacity. Some critics of the ship call it an “expensive mistake” and a classic example of the “sunk cost fallacy.”
The “Larry Bird” Of Surface Ships
The Zumwalt’s unique, low-radar-signature hull allows it to operate closer to hostile coasts, providing a stealthy platform for long-range, hypersonic missile strikes that aircraft carriers cannot provide, making it a critical tool for deterring adversaries in the Indo-Pacific.
This makes it a much more valuable and versatile platform in the event of war with China, specifically over Taiwan.
Hypersonic missiles, capable of speeds exceeding Mach 5, offer a critical standoff strike capability against a wide range of targets, including those previously requiring naval gunfire support.
“I refer to all the ships that get hypersonics as the Larry Bird ships of the Navy,” Jerry Hendrix, a retired Navy captain and former Pentagon staff member who is now a senior fellow at the Sagamore Institute, said, referring to the legendary three-point shooter who played for the Boston Celtics.
“These ships, because of the ranges associated with hypersonics, will be able to do that pinpoint accuracy from way outside the shooting range for the rest of the fleet.”
CPS Hypersonics Reduce Enemy’s Response Times
Because the Zumwalts are designed with a low-radar cross-section, they’ll be able to operate “much more comfortably” in regions where adversaries are practicing area-denial strategies that might keep other platforms at bay, Hendrix added.
Adding the CPS hypersonic missile upgrade transforms the Zumwalt from a potentially obsolete warship into a potent, relevant platform capable of projecting power and deterring potential adversaries of the United States in the 21st century.
And it reduces an enemy’s response times.
A Tomahawk cruise missile takes about an hour to hit a target 800 kilometers away, while the CPS will hit the target in ten minutes.
A recent report states that the CPS can travel from Guam to the Taiwan Strait in just 30 minutes.
However, with only three ships in the class and no plans to build more, this move, while important, may only serve to introduce hypersonics to more classes of Navy surface ships.
The Navy plans on using the CPS on Virginia-class attack submarines. The CPS integration is specifically designed for the Block V variant of the Virginia-class.
These submarines will be equipped with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM), an 84-foot hull section containing larger-diameter launch tubes that can accommodate the CPS.
But with only 12 missiles per ship, they don’t pack a lot of punch.
The Navy is trying to find the Zumwalts a mission they weren’t really designed to perform.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
